Ez hi-def.

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a device, EZ Hi-Def., which can be mounted to a digital camera lens to take a high-definition photo. Photograph is from light, and it cannot be emphasized enough that without light there is no photograph. This simplicity and low cost device can turn photography into new chapter from digital to high definition.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit to U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 12/609,310 filed on Oct. 30, 2009 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/946,455 filed on Jan. 6, 2014 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

High-definition television (HDTV) is superior to digital television. Its high-resolution pictures can be viewed on a big screen. One can enjoy more details and less fuzzy in the picture. High capacity of pixels is utilized to fill in the empty squares of the frame. The fast speed of the picture frames results in less flicker of the motion pictures.

Photography is on the trend to keep up with television evolution, but it has not reached the level of high definition yet. On one hand, there has been a race in the market on who has more megapixels in the digital camera. Similar to television, it has been thought that pixels would solve flat and fuzzy problem in digital photographs. On the other hand, several methods of post-photo processing, i.e. focus after shot, red eye reduction, . . . are employed to get a better photo. However on account of the present invention, EZ Hi-Def. device provides new technology and low cost to achieve the goal with real-time image data, more details, more depth of space and no fuzzy pictures both on print and on a big view screen.

SUMMARY

EZ Hi-Def. device provides a high level of integration both structurally and functionally in a digital camera. The size of proportional to the size of the camera lens. There are several sizes commercially available, ranging from 52 mm to 82 mm, or more. Its proximity to the lens is also critical to reflection of image. The device provides high efficiency of gathering and reflecting light to the lens. This technology can apply to future scientific research and education where high definition photograph is used as a tool.

The embodiment of the invention provides a digital camera with a device that can affect the light ray path to the lens. It can effectively gather reflected rays from multiple light sources around the object of interest. Six round bars are parallel to the camera lens and arranged in a hexagon shape. They facilitate and modulate light rays from the live object to the lens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: EZ Hi-Def. device

FIG. 2a and 2b : comparison between cameras with and without device

FIG. 3a : how device facilitates and modulates reflected rays prior to lens

FIG. 3b : how device utilizes multiple reflectors as multiple light sources

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a removable device that is mounted on the lens of a digital camera, which in turn is capable of producing a high definition photo. The device assists the camera lens to harvest the image data effectively and efficiently. In photography, how much light or how light rays captured by the lens affects the quality of a photo. Too much light leads to being overexposed, and the opposite leads to being underexposed. Each light ray is an essential element to reflect detail from live object to the camera lens.

FIG. 1 shows physical appearance of EZ Hi-Def. device. It is manufactured to fit the lens diameter. There is a size for each commercially available digital camera lens. Once the device is in place, light passes through the device to the lens. It is important to know how a digital camera works. Light zooms into camera lens then hits photo sensor which sends an electrical signal to the detector called charge-couple-device. This CCD breaks up the picture into millions of pixels. The color brightness of each pixel is then stored as a number. A digital photograph is a series of numbers.

It is once thought in a digital camera the higher megapixel, the higher resolution of the picture. This explains why the image taken from a low megapixel digital camera can neither be viewed on a large screen no printed on a big-sized photo without being fuzzy. To achieve a high resolution photo, there are two approaches, a huge me pixel or an increase in efficiency of light capture of the lens. The second task is what the present invention tackles. EZ Hi-Def. device is a breakthrough in photography; it raises a digital photograph to a higher level, a high definition photograph. The simplicity of the device results a low cost for consumers who can utilize their grandpas' digital cameras with the device to take high definition photos.

FIG. 2 is a side-by-side comparison between two cameras with and without EZ Hi-Def. device. Without a device, the light rays from the live object zoom into the lens (FIG. 2a ). In old school of digital photography, lighting plays an important role in quality of picture. In fact, a lot of money has been poured into lighting business. However, photographers have never thought how light rays travel to the lens (FIG. 2b ) can enhance the resolution of the picture. The present invention will change that thought. EZ Hi-Def. device facilitates and modulates those reflected rays of live object before coming into the lens. Details of how it accomplishes this task will be explained in FIG. 3 a.

EZ Hi-Def. device provides the camera an advantage in lighting effect. Without a device, a camera requires an adequate lighting for a clear picture. On the other hand, the reflecting activities of the bars contribute additional light through the lens. This good light source mimics soft even light to assist photo shooting. Therefore, the high efficiency in capturing and reflecting light of the bars of the device enables the camera to function well even in a low light setting.

EZ Hi-Def, device makes digital camera more light sensitive than one without the device. In Axis Communication, two objects were set up with the same amount of incident light. A lux meter was used to measure the incident light and a camera to read the amount of light reflected from the objects. It was discovered that the object reflecting more light to the camera lens led to more light capture by the camera, or increased light sensitivity of the camera. In other words, more data was captured for the photo. EZ Hi-Def. device is a reflector of live object to the camera lens (FIG. 2b ); hence, it increases light sensitivity of the camera.

Digital camera with EZ Hi-Def. device provides an image which can be enlarged either on a view screen or on print and still inherits its sharpness and clarity. With one light source, each round bar reflects a 3D image of live object to the lens. Six bars reflect six 3D images to the lens; whereas, only one 3D image of live object is reflected to the lens in camera without EZ Hi-Def. device. FIG. 3b shows multiple light reflectors as multiple light sources for the camera. Similarly, under multiple light sources, the device reflects a multiple of six 3D images to the lens. Ideally, the invented device enables a digital camera to produce a photo with multiple of six times more resolution than without device, This opens an opportunity for a scientific lab to perform a precise and accurate calculation to yield an ideal EZ Hi-Def. device.

FIG. 3a shows how EZ Hi-Def device facilitates light on its path to the lens. As light hits the bars of the device, the bars serve as reflectors and reflect the image to the camera lens (301). In order for the lens to gather reflected light rays effectively, the size of the device is proportional to the size of the lens, and the proximity of the bars to the lens cannot be zero. In other words, the bars of the device cannot be embedded into the lens so that the bars can reflect light (or image data) to the lens. Both the size of the device and its proximity to the lens play a critical role in empowering resolution of the image to produce high definition photographs.

FIG. 3a shows the invented device not only facilitates light but also modulates light rays before they are captured by the lens. As light rays on their way to the camera lens, some hit the bars of device at perfect angles (301) to be reflected to the lens; however, some land on the bars with off-angles (302 and 303). This “off-angled” light ray is utilized by a bar to reflect to its parallel bar (303) or the wall of the device (302); then the light ray gets reflected to the lens. Again, these “off-angled” light rays can be reflected from bar to bar to wall then to lens, or from bar to wall to bar then to lens, etc, . . . . Hence, the modulating activities of EZ Hi-Def. device increase efficiency of light capture of the lens and minimize the number of lost light rays.

How was the color of the device selected? As discussed above, reflection is the core function of the device. Round bars arranged in hexagon shape contribute additional light to the lens. This device provides a digital camera an advantage to shoot a photo in low light setting. However, also due to reflection function of the device, its color has to be carefully chosen to optimize the light effect for photo sensor. The color of EZ Hi-Def. is but not limited to black to absorb some light to prevent a photo from being overexposed.

The EZ Hi-Def. device provides advantages as a major breakthrough to photography. It is easy to use: if one knows how to put a cap on the camera lens, he/she can mount the device onto the same spot of the lens—just turn and click. It is easy to be manufactured; the invented device is well designed to provide the ease of manufacture. It is able to recycle grandpa's old digital camera; if grandpa's old digital camera is 8 MP (megapixels) or higher, it will work well with EZ Hi-Def. device to shoot a high-definition photo. These advantages of EZ Hi-Def. ultimately result in low cost and great saving for the consumers.

EZ Hi-Def. provides another practical advantage in today photography. Its high definition photos do not demand a big size, one can easily post a 4 MB high definition photo on Facebook without having to resize or crop. A minimum MB for a high-definition photo with EZ Hi-Def. is around 4 MB. What is post on Facebook is what is seen in real life. 

What is claimed is:
 1. EZ. Hi-Def. device comprises 6 round bars and a base ring a. The 6 bars are arranged in a hexagon with 3 pairs of parallel bars, and all bars are parallel to the lens. b. The bars assist photography in to light setting due to its reflecting function. c. The bars facilitate and modulate light rays to the lens.
 2. EZ Hi-Def. device of claim 1 wherein the base ring comprises a mechanism to adjust the bars to take a near-view picture or a far-view landscape.
 3. EZ Hi-Def. device of claim 1 wherein the material of the device possesses light reflection as well as light absorption properties. The later property of the material is to prevent over lighting effect on the lens. a. The device assists the camera to produce a true-view photograph with details and depth of space, which are not present in a digital photograph. b. The device fits and works with any digital camera even grandpa's old digital camera to produce a high-definition photograph. 